Urban freight transport and city logistics policies: Indications from Rome, Barcelona, and Santander

ABSTRACT

This article compares the characteristics of urban freight transport in Rome, Barcelona, and Santander and the logistics measures being implemented in the three cities. The analysis is based on three similar surveys carried out in recent years involving interviews with retailers and transport operators. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the similarities and differences in terms of spatial patterns, current regulations, socioeconomic characteristics, commercial structures, freight demand characteristics, and current distribution patterns followed by different transport and logistics operators. The study shows that there are some different patterns of urban distribution that need to be taken into account when implementing city logistics measures in order to meet desired sustainability goals.

KEYWORDS:

• Barcelona
• Rome
• Santander
• city logistics
• urban freight transport
• urban freight data

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the editor and the anonymous reviewers for their suggestions, which were most useful in revising the article.

Funding

The authors thank the Center for Transport and Logistics, “Sapienza” University of Rome, for survey results carried out within the research project “Studio di settore per la mobilità delle merci a Roma” supported by ATAC SpA; the Ministerio de Fomento del Gobierno de España for financing the project “REPLICA – Red Española de Plataformas Logísticas Intermodales para la mejora de la Competitividad y la sostenibilidad Ambiental del transporte de mercancías;” and the City Council of Santander, which allowed this research to take place.